Olympic Games 2012: London Bid

Lord Jopling: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What provision they intend to make in their bid for the 2012 Olympic Games for competing nations to provide security protection for their own competitors.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: As stated in the Applicant Questionnaire submitted to the IOC by London 2012 on 16 January, it is envisaged that a strategic group led by the Home Office and reporting directly to the Cabinet Office will be responsible for overseeing the security arrangements for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012.
	Discussions on security are ongoing and more detailed arrangements will be developed in due course.

Regulations: Cost to Business

Viscount Goschen: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 1 March (WA 89–90), whether they will establish a running cumulative record of the costs and benefits of regulations introduced, derived from individual regulatory impact assessments.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: No.

Gas Oil Bowsers

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 11 February (WA 166) and 21 April (WA 52), why they judge it desirable to impose more burdensome regulations on the carriage of gas oil on the basis of its flammability, when there is no recent history of gas oil bowsers catching fire.

Lord Triesman: This change was introduced to implement the provisions of EC directive 1 requirements for the safe transport of dangerous goods. Industry has been fully aware that this has been part of the international text for many years and that, in due course, Great Britain (GB) would be required to conform to international safety obligations. However, the new GB regulations 2 allow a transitional period for industry to meet these requirements and, where existing bowsers will be used solely in the UK, a requirement to meet general safety requirements and be fit for purpose will be maintained.
	1 Council Directive 94/55/EC (updated for the fourth time by Commission Directive 2003/28/EC).
	2 The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2004.

Single Railway Track: South-west

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the annual loss to the economy caused by the existence of long stretches of single-railway track south west beyond Salisbury to Yeovil and Exeter.

Lord Triesman: No such estimates have been made.

Mentally Incapacitated Patients: Artificial Nutrition and Hydration

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the withdrawal or withholding of nutrition and hydration delivered by artificial means from mentally incapacitated patients with persistent vegetative state and other similar conditions can only be authorised on application to the courts.

Lord Warner: The judgments in the House of Lords in Airedale NHS Trust v Bland stated that withdrawal/withholding of artificial nutrition and hydration in all cases in which the patient is in a permanent vegetative state should as a matter of practice only take place after the approval of the court has been obtained.

Mentally Incapacitated Patients: Artificial Nutrition and Hydration

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their policy on the withdrawal or withholding of nutrition and hydration delivered by artificial means from mentally incapacitated patients.

Lord Warner: An adult with capacity is able to refuse any form of medical treatment including artificial nutrition and hydration (except in circumstances defined by statute, for example the Mental Health Act 1983). Where the patient is incapacitated and has not made a relevant advance refusal, treatment will be lawful if it is in their best interests. Hence, if the treatment is not in the best interests of the patient it may lawfully be discontinued.
	Procedural safeguards can be found in professional guidelines, including the General Medical Council's guidance document, Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Prolonging Treatments: Good Practice in Decision Making (http://www.gmc-uk.org/standards/default.htm). Copies are available in the Library. In cases of difficulty, doubt or disagreement, the matter can be referred to the court for adjudication.

Foot and Mouth: Fraud Offences

The Earl of Courtown: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people have been charged with fraud in connection with the foot and mouth disease outbreak; and of them how many of these are farmers or slaughtermen.

Lord Whitty: Six people have been prosecuted by Defra for fraud offences in connection with the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001. Three members of staff were prosecuted and pleaded guilty to making false subsistence claims. Three farmers were prosecuted for making false compensation claims; one farmer pleaded guilty, two farmers were acquitted. There have been no prosecutions of slaughtermen by Defra for fraud.
	There are no outstanding prosecutions. There are also a significant number of ongoing disputes about contracts during the foot and mouth epidemic, some of which are the subject of legal proceedings.

Apples: UK Production

Lord Harrison: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many of the 6,000 varieties of apples registered in national apple lists are still available in British supermarkets; and what percentage of apples sold in British supermarkets are British-sourced.

Lord Whitty: There is no definitive list of the number of apple varieties that exist as they, along with other fruit, are not subject to National Listing. However, over 2,000 varieties of apple are held in the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale. Only a few of these varieties are of commercial significance and regularly appear on supermarket shelves, though other less common varieties are sold periodically by some outlets who wish to offer their customers a wider choice. We estimate that, by quantity, about 30 per cent of the total supply of apples in the UK is home produced.

Rural Delivery Review

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will publish their response to Lord Haskins's Rural Delivery Review.

Lord Whitty: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State intends to publish a refreshed rural strategy for England later in the spring. The strategy will include a full response to the recommendations coming out of Lord Haskins's Rural Delivery Review.

Animal Welfare Bill

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they propose to bring forward the Animal Welfare Bill.

Lord Whitty: Parliamentary Counsel is currently drafting the Animal Welfare Bill. We anticipate that the Bill will be published in July.

Local Environments: "Spring Cleans"

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have issued any advice to local authorities regarding annual "Spring clean" or "Tidy up" days.

Lord Whitty: Whereas a single day or weekend campaign can be effective in raising awareness we are convinced that more sustained campaigns are more effective. The 100 days campaign by Manchester City Council has been a great success and has mobilised the community. The Government provide advice to local authorities on how they can best discharge their statutory duties with regard to the management of the local environment.
	Defra funds ENCAMS (formerly the Tidy Britain Group) who work closely with local authorities on these issues. ENCAMS run a variety of training and best practice programmes, including their People and Places Programme, which is a unique partnership offering local authorities and other major land owners advice and support on effective action to be taken to solve many of the problems that blight our open spaces. In 2001, Defra allocated £1 million to local authorities through ENCAMS for the LEQ Pathfinder Programme, to find new and better ways of reaching the diverse needs of local people in a number of places through 10 key areas, one being active citizenship.
	Following the Defra consultation, Living Places—Powers, Rights, Responsibilities, Defra launched a website through the Improvement and Development Agency (IdeA) which acts as a strategic document for local authorities to serve as a guide to current legislation, available guidance and good practice concerning the whole raft of local environmental issues.